Morning journal and courier., 1887-01-17
NEW YORKERs LIKE 1T.
Words of Praise For n Recently
Launched New Haven Vessel.

Words of Praise For n Recently
Launched New Haven Vessel.
Yesterdays New York Sun in an article
headed "a Vessel to be Proud Off thus
speaks of the schooner William W. Con-
verse:
The loftiest spars at the South street piers
below Wall street yesterday were the three
masts of the new schooner William w. Con
verse, fresh from Hanscom's yard at New
Haven where she was launched on December
15. An examination of the Converse shows
the wonderful progress made in the construc-
ton of coasting vessels in the last few years
Although under the present rules of measure
ment the Converse registers at 70s tons, she
will carry 200 tons of cargo, quite as much
as the square-rigged ships of q few years ago
and fully as much as the average bark of
the present time. She does this on draught
of 1871 feet of water, and she needs a
crew of only nine men, all told. or
about one half the number carried by
a bark. She is $50 feet long on deck, 81
feet inches wide, and 1S feet deep. She
was modelled by Warren Nettleton, and her
owners, among whom is William Converse,
president of tho Winchester Arms company,
assert that she will not only outcarry but
outsail the coasting feet every day of the
week. An examination of her lines and
look at the amount of cargo she carries show
that there is some foundation for the conf
dence of her owners Besides this, she is as
handy as yacht, and, for that matter, quite
as handsome.
The dimensions of a vessel of this kind are
not uninteresting. Her spars are from 81 to
90 feet long, her topm asts SO feet, her spank
er boom is 20 feet long and her jibboom so.
The fore and main booms 48 feet and all
gaffs 46. It required 1000 yards of canvas
to clothe her. Her frames are white oak
and chestnut and che is ceiled aud planked
with yellow pine. AS sample of her strength
it may be said that from the bottom of her
keel to the top of her keelson the logs are
piled mp eight feet high. 1t took ten tons of
bolts to hold them together. She is the sec
ond vessel fitted with the patent tubular
steering wheel, which is a model of strength
and beauty.
The Converse is noticeable for her finish
as we'll as her strength. The mouldings and
| panels of her cabin are in cherry, walnut and
| ash, beautifully contrasted. The floors are
| carpeted with Oriental rugs an inch thick.
| There is a set Of solid silver on the sideboard
| and no end of rich and beautiful decorations
about the bulkheads. The curtains before
| the berth are of silk and the furniture of the
| after cabin is upholstered in silk also. The
| house forward is divided between the cook
| and the crew. Although Jack will have no
silk curtains before his bunk he will find a
l
| coasters and which he will like much better
| than silk hangings.
The Converse is commanded by Captain
| James NJ Seaman, Saville man. In all
matters pertaining to the handling of the
ship he is the boss, but it is pretty plain to a
visitor that in domestic matters his hand
some little daughter Maud. a lassie of eleven
years. is the ruler. Captain Seaman former
| ly commanded the Tingue, famous schoon,
err, and little Maude sailed more thousands nt
miles in hen than she is years old. Maude
helped launch the Converse by breaking the
wine over the knighthesds in the presence OF
5000 enthusiastic spectators. The stateroom
which this sailor girl calls her own is as
large as the captains and quite as handsome
~ decorated.
A friend of Captain Seaman told a report.
or that the Converse cost $38, 200, a figure
that compares with q square rugged vessel OF
the same capacity in a way likely to make
old fashioned shipowners open their eyes
The Tingue, which Captain Seaman com
nanded last, paid 10 per cent. profit while
he was in her. The Converse is expected tc
do rather better in spite of the hard times
One reason for expecting this good fortune
the captain says, is that he found upward Of
sixty horseshoes while experimenting hel
construction and he picked them all up and
slowed them away. He never passes dere
lict horseshoe. He owns ns-eighth of the
new vessel.